Just Like You
by Reikaku Pyro
Summary: [Implied Jounouchi x Mai] Jounouchi has a confrontation with his father, and he begins to question his own motives and future. Can Mai bring him out of this dark mindset? Rated for language and violence. COMPLETED.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: As much as I'd LIKE to, I don't own Yugioh or Jounouchi or any other characters._

**Just Like You**

_Chapter 1_

A quick glance to the clock gave Jounouchi a sinking feeling in his gut. It was nearly four-o'clock. 'Daddy' would be home soon. Great. If there was one thing Jou didn't need while trying to do his math work, it was his father's booming voice ringing through his ears. But Jou had gotten used to their little dance that took place at this time everyday of the week.

After 6 years, anyone would.

_Damn quadratics,_ he thought, his mind wandering back to his schoolwork.

Now, Jou didn't hate his father. He certainly didn't like him, but he could never disregard his father as a useless human being. His father wasn't an outrageous, abusive alcoholic. While there was the occasional whack in the head or thrown beer bottle, his father rarely inflicted serious pain or bodily harm on his son. He was just an overworked, lonely man trying to make ends meet. Jounouchi understood that. What he didn't understand was why his father blew the little money he earned at the racetrack or liquor store.

After so many years, Jou just found it easier to live for himself and have as little contact with the old man as he could get away with. That's why he worked to pay his own tuition. That's why he never spoke up.

Why bother?

_I hate math,_ his thoughts continued.

They were disrupted by the sound of the front door sliding open and heavy footsteps trudging inside. Jounouchi didn't even bother looking up. He knew what was happening simply by the sounds. A husky grunt from across the room signified that Jounouchi's presence was acknowledged. The approaching footsteps said Dad was headed to the fridge for a beer, and their inconsistent rhythm told Jou that this wouldn't be his first drink of the day.

_Surprise, surprise, _Jou thought as he privately rolled his eyes.

The refrigerator door popped open, and a faint gust of cold air hit Jounouchi's cheek. The all too familiar hiss of the bottle cap being removed filled the small room. Out of the corner of his eye, Jou could see his father take the first sip and kick the fridge door close. Unfazed, Jounouchi returned to his work.

It wasn't long until his father's gruff voice broke Jou's concentration. "This place is a dump. Why didn't you clean it like I told you?" His speech was slightly slurred.

The teen didn't even look up. "I'm doing my homework, Dad," Jou answered apathetically. "I'll clean later."

He felt his father's harsh gaze upon him. It was nothing new to the boy. After 16 years of living with the old man, Jou doubted his father could look at him with any other expression.

"Hmph," the man snorted. He threw his head back, taking another swig of booze. "Still wasting time in that school? Why don't you make yourself useful and get a job? Help pay the rent?"

"I have a job, Dad."

"Then why the hell are you still in school! Your grades are horrible! You're just wasting my money…"  
Jou released an exasperated sigh. "It's a part time job, Dad. And I pay for school with the money I earn. I figured you didn't care about my education." _And I was right._

"What education?" his father scoffed. "You're dumb as dirt, kid." Another drink. "Besides, I never finished high school, and look at me."

That was disturbingly amusing to Jounouchi. "Great example, Dad. By the way, you spilt beer on your shirt." He still hadn't looked up, but he figure his father's intoxicated mind wouldn't figure out that Jou was just provoking him.

And it didn't. The old man examined his shirt, but he found no stain. Jounouchi resisted the urge to laugh and yell 'PSYCHE!' He settled for a small snicker, though.

That slight chuckle at his expense did not sit well with Jou's father. A day of frustration and degradation had drained the tired man of his sense of humor. Trying to overcome his humiliation, the man slammed his frosted bottle onto his son's homework. A few drops bounced out of the bottle's mouth and stained the white paper a pale yellow.

_Great,_ Jou thought as he stared at the blotches. _Now I'll have to explain why my math homework smells like beer._

"Don't get smart with me, you brat," he father growled, his speech pattern getting less and less consistent. Jou could just smell the reeking stench of alcohol on the old man's breath, and it made him nauseated.

Normally in this situation, Jou would just apologize insincerely, then his dad would be happy and let him get back to work. However, Jounouchi didn't feel too civil today. Everyday he went through this routine, and he was growing tired of it. He never took crap from anyone, not even the richest man in town, Kaiba Seto. So why should he from his own flesh and blood?

This little act of theirs happened every damn day. The routine was always the same. But today, Jou wanted to know what it was like to fight back against his father.

"According to you, I can't," the boy replied dryly.

Jounouchi could feel his father's hand slam onto the back of his chair. The hand around the bottle grasped it tighter. "You _ungrateful little…!_" boomed his father's voice. "You'd better show me some respect before I kick you out of here for good!" he threatened.

"Whatever, Dad," Jou scowled, trying to pull his homework out from under the cold, wet bottle. "Could you move your drink? I'm busy."

His father paused for a long moment. "…Get up."

"What?"

"You heard me!" the man snapped, attempting to rip the chair out from under his son's body.

Jounouchi complied, rising to his feet. He didn't anticipate that his father would do anything more than get right in his face and yell random threats or profanities. That was usually what happened. But it seemed Jou wasn't the only one in the mood for a change in routine today.

The young boy blinked in shock as the back of his head hit the wall. When he looked forward with wild amber eyes, he saw the uncontrolled anger in the old man's face. His temper had reached its limit, and Jou immediately attributed that to the beer. Then Jounouchi noticed a strange pressure on his throat, and he couldn't move his head to look. All he could do was glance down and see his father's arm leading up to his neck. That's when he realized he couldn't breathe.

His own father… the man that gave him life… was choking him.

Quickly, Jou grabbed frantically at the arm holding him to the wall, but he couldn't budge it. He was stuck there, gasping for air while his father glared mercilessly at him.

"Don't you start thinking you're better than me, _Katsuya,"_ his father finally spoke, his tone dark and terrifying. "You're not, and you never will be." His grip around Jou's throat got tighter, and his own dull amber eyes flared with anger. "You may hate me. You may think that someday you're gonna have a perfect life with everything you want. But let me tell you something, boy. You won't. This is who you are. You're just like me. _Just_ like me. That's why your mother didn't take you with her when she left. That's why she doesn't want anything to do with you. Bet you didn't know that," he scoffed.

The cruel words tore at Jou's mind, but he was too busy trying to free himself to worry about it. "…D-dad!…" he gasped, his head dizzy and his lungs aching for air. Grabbing at the sleeve of his father's shirt was becoming more and more difficult. "I-…I can't… breathe!…" he whispered in desperation.

The old man blinked, as though waking up from a trance. Then he ripped his hand away from Jounouchi's throat just a quickly as he had lunged for it. Jou collapsed onto the floor, his arms grasping the chair he had been sitting in. Sensation returned to him as he gasped for air, lightly clutching his chest. Once his breath was somewhat even, he looked up to the old man's glare. Jou wanted an explanation. He wanted to know why.

He didn't get an answer. His father simply scowled, and after a long pause he broke the silent tension. "I gotta get back to work," he slurred, stumbling away from the kitchen towards the door. "This place better be cleaned up when I get back, or you won't get off so easily." The man grabbed a jacket from the hook on the wall and disappeared out the front door. Jou heard it slam, and felt the floor shake a little as his father stormed away, leaving his son there on the floor.

Finally getting back to his feet, Jounouchi still had to use the table to support himself. His legs were trembling beneath him, and beads of sweat ran down his face as he gulped for air. He never felt so terrified in his whole life.

But it wasn't because of what had just happened. The choking didn't bother him. He'd been hurt much worse than that. His father's glare didn't phase him. It was those words.

"You're just like me."

His stomach churned as he heard his father scream that in his mind over and over again. It played like a broken record, and no mater what he tried, it wouldn't stop. His heart raced as the adrenaline coursed through his body.

_I've gotta stop this! I have to make this voice stop!_

His eyes fell on the bottle that his father had left on his homework. Before he could think, Jou had picked up the drink, clenched his eyes closed and threw back his head. The cold liquid made him want to gag, it tasted so awful. It was sour and nauseating. But the only thought in Jou's mind was to stop his father's voice. Not what he was doing.

After chugging the rest of the bottle, Jou gasped as he slammed it onto the table just as his father did before. His eyes were fixated on his math book while his vision blurred and focused randomly.

_What's happening to me? _he thought, finally studying the bottle in his hand.

_…What have I done?_

Frantically, Jou threw the bottle against the far wall and watched it shatter. The broken pieces fell against the wooden floor made a lulling melody. But the sound did not sooth Jou's panicked mind. He realized what he'd done. He just drank. He just picked up a beer out of instinct to clear his head. He'd never even wanted to _know _what it tasted like, and he just… chugged half a bottle or so.

He ran to the bathroom, tripping over a rug along the way. Jou had only one thought on his mind.

He had to get rid of that poison. He couldn't be like his dad.

_What if it's too late?…_


	2. Chapter 2

Author's notes: Finally getting the second chapter up. I've been absurdly busy as of late and have had no time for writing. But things are slowing down, at least for the time being.

Anyway, I'd just like to thank all the people that read and reviewed the first chapter of this story. I tried really hard not to make this one of those 'Jou's-dad-beats-him-and-Mai-saves-the-day' kinda things. They've been done to death in my opinion.

But yes. On to the story.

* * *

**Just Like You**

_Chapter 2_

School seemed to drag on for eternity. Each minute felt like a year, each hour like a century. The day went by so slowly, Jounouchi was amazed he didn't fall asleep during any of his classes. He might as well have. Nothing that was taught was going to stick in his aching head.

He practically died of joy when the last bell rang. That didn't last long.

_You're just like me. You're just like me._

Those words echoed in his head, even as he walked through the loud crowded hallway and out the front doors of Domino High. Everything around him seemed like nothing but background noise.

"Hey, Jounouchi!" he heard someone call right as he made it to the sidewalk. It took a moment for Jou to realize he was the one being addressed.

"Hm?" he muttered, turning to see who called him. Yuugi, Honda, and Anzu, his best friends, were standing outside the front gates, most likely waiting for him.

"We're all going over to Yuugi's place, Jou," Anzu said, a bright smile on her face pretty face.

Yuugi chimed in. "Jii-chan got some new games in the shop, and he asked me to bring you guys over to test them out! He even said you could spend the night if you wanted!" Yuugi made it sound like they'd never stayed at his house before. Jou alone had stayed there over 100 times since they'd become friends.

"And we're tired of waiting for your scrawny butt. Let's go," Honda jeered. Leave it to Honda Hiroto to translate a statement like 'We were waiting for you' into an insulting demand. If Jou weren't so tired he would have initiated one of their little brawls.

But he was. So he didn't.

"Nah, I think I'll just head home," Jou shook his head, a small smile crossing his face. As much as he wanted to go spend time with his friends, now just wasn't a good time. He knew he'd end up telling them all about the encounter with his dad last night, and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin their good time with his problems.

Besides, it wasn't like they could help with this.

Yuugi's grin turned into a concerned frown. "What's the matter, Jounouchi? You've been acting really odd today," he stated. Had he really been that obvious? "Are you not feeling well?"

"Uh, no. Not really," Jou grinned sheepishly. "I was sort of sick last night." Which was true. Jou was sick. He spent the whole night trying to get the alcohol out of him before it got into his system. He got no sleep at all. And when you take mental distress and add sleep deprivation, then mix it with Jounouchi Katsuya, the results were not pretty at all.

Anzu frowned. "Jou, you didn't even eat lunch today. What else is going on?" she half-asked, half-demanded an explanation. That girl always seemed to know when something was bothering Jounouchi. Call it woman's intuition, call it the bond of friendship, call it whatever you want. The fact was…

It sometimes got on Jou's nerves.

"No really! I'm fine," Jounouchi insisted. "Like I said, I didn't feel well last night, plus I stayed up late doing that stupid math assignment." He played it off with a grin and an eye roll. Dammit. Even HE didn't believe what he was saying. "I think I just need some sleep or something…"

He could tell that no one believed him, just by the looks in their eyes.

"C'mon, Jounouchi, what's up wi-!" Honda started, but was cut short by Yuugi's small foot kicking him in the shin. The brunette shot Yuugi quite the look, but it was ignored.

"Are you sure, Jounouchi? You know you can tell us if something's wrong," Yuugi looked up to his friend with great concern. "Maybe we can help you…"

Jounouchi just laughed slightly, still just making light of the situation. "Yuugi! I'm _fine!_ Really," he said with a smile. "I just need some rest, that's all."

_I hate lying to them._

"Well…ok, then," Yuugi complied hesitantly. Anzu and Honda obviously wanted to press the issue more, but in the end they simply sighed and smiled back to Jou. "If you start feeling better, come on over," Yuugi grinned.

"Alright," Jounouchi nodded. Then he watched Yuugi, Anzu, and Honda walk off down the street until they turned the corner. He released a discontent sigh.

"I _really _hate lying to them like that," he said to himself as he turned around. "Maybe I should've gone with them…"

He thought that having time to himself might make him feel better. Now he just felt worse.

While Jou didn't notice it, it had actually been a pretty nice day. For other people, it was a good day for a little walk. Kujaku Mai was one of these people. She had been lounging around her apartment when she decided to throw her fitted jean jacket on over her purple dress and go for a stroll around the block. She just walked down the sidewalk, no particular destination in mind. Every once in a while she'd hear a flattering catcall or whistle… and the occasional "How much?" question raised by a few particularly desperate horn-dogs. Mai liked to meet these questions with an open palm slap to the face, followed by, "First of all, I'm not a hooker. And second, even if I was, you couldn't afford it." Then she'd saunter away, smirking with her personal satisfaction.

Some guys were such scumbags.

They brought her great amusement.

Anyway, Mai was enjoying her afternoon stroll around town. It was just so peaceful to be alone and think to herself. Her mind would wander from subject to subject. Music, movies, tournaments… the occasional thought of her friends. One in particular.

Right as she struck that thought from her mind, she saw a familiar face turn around the street corner and walk towards her. She could immediately recognize that mess of blonde hair. Only one person in the world would allow himself to been seen with such messy hair like that.

Jounouchi Katsuya. The biggest dork she'd ever known. Though, sadly, he was one of the few true friends she had. Mai had no idea HOW or WHY that happened, but she'd given up on asking.

She smiled widely at him, noticing he looked a bit distracted today. He seemed…almost deep in thought.

_…This is JOU. That's not possible._

As he got closer, she started waving, bright smile still on her face. "Oh, Jou-NOU-chi!" she called in a sing-song voice. She got ready to see his stupefied expression, then the goofy grin that was sure to follow.

It didn't.

Jounouchi walked right by, completely ignoring Mai's sweet tone and wave. His eye stayed glued to the concrete before him, and his hands stayed shoved in the pockets of his pants.

Now Mai was the one left with the stupefied expression. Had Jounouchi really just walked right past her without so much as a 'Hello?' This was just UNACCEPTABLE. Sure it was ok when SHE ignored HIM, but the other way around? Mai would not have it.

She turned around, no sign of that sweet smile remaining on her face. In its place was an agitated pout, her eyes giving him a hard glare. He would regret this.

"JOUNOUCHI _KATSUYA!_" she yelled, arms firmly at her sides.

Now THAT got his attention. Jou stopped and looked over his shoulder. After a moment of blinking, he turned around. But Mai couldn't help but notice the absence of his trademark grin. "Mai?"

Her anger flared. "Very GOOD, Captain Obvious!" she stormed up to him. "Just who the hell do you think you are! Ignoring me like that!" Mai huffed, crossing her arms tightly.

Jou's eyes got wide as she scolded him, blinking every so often. "…Ignoring you? What are you talking about?" he said dumbly.

"Oh, _please_!" she scoffed. "I was standing RIGHT in front of you! Maybe that disgusting hair of yours is finally getting in the way of your eyesight."

Alright, so at this point, Mai knew EXACLTY what to expect. Jounouchi would get angry and try to get back at Mai with some lame insult. He'd get all red, and he'd glare right back at her. Then she'd get him back with a real zinger, he'd have nothing, so she could walk away victorious as always. As irritating as Jounouchi was and could be, she did enjoy these little bouts they had. They kept her one step ahead of him, and that's how she liked it.

But once again, Mai would be disappointed.

Instead of acting like the child she knew he could be, Jounouchi just blinked a few more times, then grinned sheepishly. "Really? Oh, I'm sorry, Mai. I honestly didn't see you," he said calmly, scratching his hair. She hated how he could mess his hair up like that and STILL actually look pretty good. That always annoyed her about guys. No sense of appearance. "I guess I've just got a lot on my mind."

Mai had no idea how to react to that. She wasn't used to such a…RATIONAL reaction from Jou. All she could do was stare with a confused expression, stammering to come up with something else to say. "…Huh? Well…Um. It's OK…I guess…" she stammered. Mai hated not knowing what to say. She had to get her composure back. "…Is something wrong?" she found herself saying before she could think.

Jou's expression took on a sad quality. For once he seemed rather solemn. Ok. This was weird.

"It's no big deal. Just… just stupid stuff. It's nothing," he smiled softly. Not the happy-go-lucky 'Everything will be great' smile she was used to, but more of a 'my whole world is caving in but I don't want to burden you' smile.

Great. Now she HAD to know.

She finally got her cruel sarcasm back, after averting her gaze from his face to the street. "Well, it's OBVIOUSLY not NOTHING, Jounouchi. I'm not dumb, unlike _some _people," she sneered, smirking slightly. That was much better than stammering.

"Mai! I swear, it's not important!" Jou threw up his hands to assure her. Then he paused. "…And HEY!"

Mai snickered. Things were getting back to normal. Good.

"Just stating facts, Jounouchi" she purred, still smirking. "Now what could be so bad that you can't tell ME, one of your BEST FRIENDS, about it, hmm?" Mai tapped her chin thoughtfully. She could have fun with this. "OH! I know!"

"…You do?" he said nervously.

"Well, it's OBVIOUS!" she tossed her hands out matter-of-factly. "You got dumped by some girl!"

"…huh?"

"I can see the whole thing now. You confessed your love to some high school girl that you're just head over heals for, and she turned you down FLAT!" she narrated dramatically. "It's just like something out of one of those bad teenager comic books." Mai opened her lavender eyes slowly to study Jou's face.

He did not look amused. His expression was dry, one eyebrow raised dramatically. His eyes looked at her with utter disbelief and condescension. "You have way too much free time."

Mai pouted, agitated again. "Shut up! You're just mad because I'm right, aren't I?" she insisted.

"Whatever, Mai," he sighed. "I gotta get home, alright?" Jounouchi turned to leave.

This was NOT ending so soon. Besides, Mai still didn't know what was REALLY bothering Jounouchi. She said that whole thing as joke, but… what if it really WAS true?

And why didn't she like that thought?

Deciding to ignore that unease in the pit of her stomach, she followed him. "Wait! Where do you think you're going!"

"I told you! Home!" he called back. "Good-BYE, Mai!"

She stopped, staring at his retreating figure. He never acted like this. Especially not to her. He was always so… disgustingly _happy_, and something in his eyes just seemed dead.

Mai did not like this version of Jounouchi. Whatever was bothering him was BIG, and she aimed to find out what that was.

After he'd gotten a good 100 yards away, Mai started following him. No way was Jounouchi Katsuya off the hook that easily.

* * *

Author's Notes: Two down, one to go XD 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's notes: FINALLY. Sorry it took so long. I've been...er. Rather busy lately. A certain project/project advosor is majorly kicking my butt. But I finally finished this up.

Anyway. This is it. LAST CHAPTER. It's kind of long, but oh well.

* * *

**Just Like You**

_Chapter 3_

It wasn't long before Jounouchi was at the front door of his apartment, and Mai was at the edge of the hallway watching him carefully. She was a bit shocked at the location. It… wasn't in the best part of town, to say the least. The whole building was rundown and aged, so Mai couldn't imagine the apartments looking much better.

_If I lived here, I'd be depressed too,_ she thought.

She watched as the other blonde slid open the front door, and she heard him lock it behind him. And suddenly, it hit her.

What was she going to do now?

The idea was to follow Jounouchi to see what he was hiding, but she never even THOUGHT of how to go about it. She just assumed he would… DO something to give it away. Mai never anticipated that Jounouchi would actually just walk home like he had told her.

_Well, dammit. Now what?_

She stood at the end of the hallway, thinking of what her next move should be. There was absolutely no way she was just going to go home and leave it at that. She just HAD to know what was going on in that dork's head.

…_Why am I doing this again? _She asked herself. But instead of looking for an answer, she pushed it to the back of her mind. Why wasn't the important question right now. How she was going to get Jounouchi to tell her… That was her priority.

Then it hit her. Mai didn't need a sneaky plan or agenda to get what she wanted out of Jounouchi. She was KUJAKU MAI. Well, that settled that. She walked up to the door that Jou had disappeared through and checked the nameplate.

'Jounouchi.'

This was the right place. She knocked sternly on the door. Jou had better be in a more talkative mood now. Mai crossed her arms and made her face as serious as she could.

Slowly the door slid open, and she saw Jounouchi peering cautiously through the gap. Her violet eyes met his amber ones, and he blinked. "Mai!" he asked in shock, opening the door completely. "What the…?"

"You didn't REALLY think I was just going to let you walk away from me like that, did you?" she said as though it were so simple to understand. In reality, she didn't even really know why she cared so much.

_THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW._

"… You mean you _followed _me home?" he asked, a bit skeptical. "That's only a little creepy…"

"Oh, shut up and ask me in, Jou," Mai demanded, rolling her eyes. "Or do I just have to stand out here in the hall all day?"

"Let me think about it," he answered dryly, but still opened the door and stepped aside to let her in.

Mai had never seen such a wreck. The apartment was just grotesque. Empty bottles and cans littered the edges of the floor, almost creating a troubling path to the kitchen. Trash that seemed to be rather old cluttered the kitchen counters, and overflowed into the living room. The furniture was badly beaten and ragged, and the walls weren't in much better condition with cracked paint and yellowed stains. If it weren't for the bright fluorescent lights, Mai thought this scene would be right out of a movie about a strung out junkie living in the slums.

_How can he live like this? _Mai thought, glancing back at Jou who was avoiding her gaze.

"Sorry it's kind of messy," he said half-heartedly. "I was just about to clean it up."

"…Don't worry about it, Jou," she said softly as she studied him. "But…there's a lot of empty…um…" she stuttered.

"They aren't mine," he answered quickly, somehow knowing what was on her mind. He closed the door and turned the lock. "They're my dad's."

"Oh." But still. That was _a lot_ of alcohol for one man. The picture started becoming clear.

"Mai?" he asked carefully. "Why did you follow me?"

She froze. It was a perfectly reasonable question, but it still surprised her. Perhaps because she had no answer.

"Well… I…" she stammered. "I didn't like how you just blew me off like that," Mai recovered. "Now I _know_ there's something wrong with you, and I am NOT leaving this apartment until you tell me what it is, Jounouchi Katsuya," she announced, making herself comfortable on the old couch. Her arms folded tightly across her chest as she glared at him.

He just looked at Mai in bewilderment. After a moment, he shook his head. "I told you, Mai. It's nothing!" Jou insisted. "I had a bad day yesterday and today's not looking much better, alright? That's all!"

"Hmph," Mai snorted. "You think I believe that nonsense? WHY did you have a bad day yesterday?"

Jou sighed. "I got kinda sick, alright? And I had a lot of homework. Happy now?"

"No," she said plainly. "Jounouchi, there is something SERIOUSLY wrong with you. I can tell. I'm a woman. I know these things," she smiled with as much charm as she could. "Now are you going to tell me or do I have to beat it out of you?" Jou quirked a brow at this threat. "What?"

"…Nothing," he sighed, slouching his broad shoulders. "But you're completely over exaggerating. There's nothing wrong with me!"

Mai rolled her eyes. "Would you stop that? It's getting on my nerves."

"You rip my head off for walking past you, make up some wild story about some girl, follow me home, insult me, and refuse to leave my house and _I'm _getting on _your_ nerves?"

"Yes. Yes, you are."

"…Right," he rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna go change outta my uniform," he said walking towards a small hallway.

"You'd better tell me when you get back in here, Jounouchi," she warned. She didn't get a response.

For a few moments, Mai simply sat alone in silence, taking in her surroundings. The creepy feeling she got when she first walking in intensified now that she was alone. This place had bad vibes, to say the least. As she crossed her legs and sank deeper into the couch she hoped that Jou would get back soon.

Suddenly, she heard the front door slam open. Frightened she turned to find a rough looking man standing in the doorway. He had a considerable amount of stubble across his jaw and a dead look in his brown eyes. The dirty blonde hair he had was a bit greasy and messy. He looked like a much older, much less friendly version of Katsuya.

_This must be his father,_ she determined. Mai was suddenly a bit frightened.

The old man stared at her for a minute. His dead eyes looking over her. "Who're you?" he finally asked, not looking at her face.

"I-I'm… Mai," she said cautiously. Something about this man just screamed danger to her. "You must be Katsuya's father…"

"Hmph," he snorted, still studying her body, an increasingly lustful look in his eyes. Obviously, he wasn't listening.

"I'm one of his friends," she continued, trying to ignore his wandering eyes. Right now they were concentrated on her legs. She tugged on the hem of her skirt, which wasn't going to help much.

Somehow that got his attention. "You're a friend of his?" he asked gruffly. "Thought all his friends were annoying little brats. I didn't think he had a… mature taste," he said making his way over to the couch. "What would a woman like you," he paused, looking over her body again and smirking, "…have anything in common with a high school kid like my good-for-nothing son?"

"…Well, actually," she started, noting how he staggered towards her. He definitely wasn't sober, that was for sure. "We met at a tournament a while back…"

"Really?" he said, feigning interest. The stench of whiskey was heavy in his breath, and since he had sat so close Mai was surrounded by it. It made her nauseous. He was getting closer by the moment.

"Y-yes," she said, sliding away from the old man. He didn't let her out of his personal space. She saw his arm slide along the back of the couch towards her. "…You must be proud of him…"

He scoffed a bit, but still didn't take is dead eyes off her. "We don't need to talk about that kid," he slurred. "I'd rather…" he moved in closer, "Get to know you…um…what'd you say your name was?"

"Mai," she answered quickly. She tried moving away again but was stopped by the arm of the couch. Mai had no where to go.

"That's right," he nodded, taking advantage of Mai's trapped position. "So…you look like a girl that's been around."

"…Excuse me?" Mai did NOT like where this was going. And this man had NO tact. Not that she expected that from someone related to Jounouchi, but at this point she'd kill to ONLY deal with Jou's blunt stupidity and perverted mind than this old lecher.

_How can THIS be Jounouchi's FATHER?_

"Just saying. You look like a girl that's pretty…popular," he said. The stench was getting stronger, and she jumped as the hand from the back of the couch slid onto her shoulders.

"Hey, I don't know WHAT you think you're doing, but…" she protested. Normally, she'd get control over a situation just with that and her signature glare, but that wasn't working. Not with this drunk. He was obviously way too wasted to think straight.

"Oh, c'mon," he purred. "I'm just trying to get to know you. We're both adults, right?"

"You'd think so," she snapped, trying to push him back. But he stayed right where he was, and now her hands were on his chest. "Get away from me!" she hissed.

"What? Are you like my son's girlfriend or something?" he asked, still not budging.

She blushed a deep red. "No! But that doesn't mean…"

"Then there's no problem." He was pushing against her now, and she was trapped.

She heard a door open. Seconds later, the old man was yanked off her and thrown towards the wall. She saw Jounouchi in front of her as she quickly sat up, her heart now racing.

The blonde didn't say a word. He took her arm, pulled her off the couch and placed her behind him; away from his father. She held onto his arm though. Now he was just in an old baseball jersey and a pair of ratty jeans. She looked over Jou's shoulder to see his expression, but the young blonde was too busy glaring fiercely at his dad, who was staring in utter shock. He probably didn't understand what had just happened.

"Mai, are you alright?" Jounouchi asked, the anger very apparent in his tone. Though he was trying to be kind to Mai.

She couldn't seem to find her voice at first. After a moment, she nodded and squeaked, "Yeah…I'm fine."

"What the hell…?" the old man finally realized what had just gone down. "Katsuya, what do you think you're doing!"

"I could say the same to you, scumbag!" he shouted in response. Mai could see the anger flaring up like an explosion in his amber eyes. He was getting tense, and his arm shook since he was clenching his fist so hard.

She'd never seen Jounouchi so angry before. It scared her.

"…Jou…" she whispered.

"Where the HELL do you get off putting moves on my FRIENDS!" Jounouchi hissed, ignoring Mai.

"Don't you talk back to me like that," the man growled taking a step forward. "I'm your DAD. This is MY house, and I'll do what I damn well FEEL like."

"Over my dead body," Jounouchi said coldly.

The man stumbled forward a bit. Anger flared in his eyes just like Jounouchi, only he lacked the passion and vigor that his son possessed. It was just a dull fire, one that could be easily extinguished. "You goddamn punk," he whispered. "I'm your FATHER! You better step aside or you'll regret it, kid!" he threatened.

Jounouchi didn't budge. "No way." The tension in the room was rising by the second, and Mai was getting more and more frightened. She didn't know what she should do. Her being there was putting Jou in danger, but even if she ran out the door right now, she would just be leaving Jou with this…this…

Alone with his father.

Oh, Jounouchi… 

"Get out of my way, boy," the old man growled, closing in on the two.

"I told you. No," Jou stood firm. Then he said something she didn't expect. "If you touch her again…I'll kill you, _Dad_."

His father stopped and blinked. "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me," Jou snapped. "If you EVER come near Mai AGAIN…I'll _kill_ you." It was obvious that Jou had just lost it. He'd never say something like that to his father… at least Mai didn't think so.

Then again, Mai didn't think that Jou's father would be a drunken lecher. The things you learn.

After a moment the old man gave a slight smirk and chuckle. "You punk," he scoffed. "You don't have it in you…"

"The hell I don't," Jounouchi cut his father off. "You wanna push me, old man? I don't care what you do to me…but if you touch my friends I'll kick your goddamn ass."

…Okay. Mai was terrified of what was happening to Jou.

Then it happened. "You need to learn your place," his father barked, lunging for Mai again. She yelped a bit as the man got hold of her wrist. But Jounouchi broke his grip. And as soon as he did, Jou pulled back his other hand, raised it up, and landed a solid right hook right into his father's cheek, sending the old man flying onto the couch. He covered his face with his face and groaned in agony.

Jounouchi turned to Mai, his eyes suddenly wild and uncertain. "Let's go," he said, his voice wavering. A drastic change from the terrifying maniac that was there just a moment ago. She paused, but nodded mechanically. Jounouchi took her hand and rushed her out of the apartment, and she could hear his father calling after them. But they didn't look back.

"Run, Mai!" he screamed, clutching her hand. They flew down the stairs, and took off down the sidewalk, all the while Mai could hear Jou's dad, cursing his son's name.

* * *

Mai had no idea how long they ran. It seemed like hours, but it was really only a few minutes at the most. She felt like she was in the middle of a hurricane. It all seemed calm now that Jou had gotten her out of there and protected her, but everything was spinning and there was chaos all around her. It was getting hard to breathe from all the running, and she knew Jou was getting tired too. She could see it in is wild amber eyes. He was scared-terrified even. And that's why he wouldn't stop running. But Mai was getting tired. Her adrenaline was running out. It was time to stop. 

"Jounouchi!" Mai yelled out, but Jou did not hear her. He pulled her along, taking her down an alley. "JOUNOUCHI!" she screamed, pulling her arm out of his grasp and screeching to an abrupt stop. His head snapped around in confusion.

"We can stop now," she huffed, trying to catch her breath. "He didn't follow us."

Jou did not look convinced. She could tell he wanted to keep running even though he was completely out of breath. Suddenly his eyes started to calm, and he seemed lost in thought. He leaned against the side wall of the alley and stared down at the pavement. Mai could hear his breath stabilize as she calmed her own nerves.

"He was right," Jounouchi barely whispered.

"What?" Mai asked, her heart finally reaching its normal rhythm.

"He was right," he repeated, his eyes dead. He slid to the ground, but his eyes were still focused on one spot. "I didn't believe it at first, but… he was completely right."

There was a hint of utter disbelief in his voice. "Jou, what are you talking about? Who was right?"

"My dad," Jou answered. "He was right."

"Your dad? What could he be right about?" Mai almost scoffed, but she could tell something was very, _very_ wrong with Jou. She took a few steps towards him.

"About me. He said something yesterday," Jou said, no emotion in his voice. His face was completely blank, as were his usually bright eyes. "He said I was just like him. And he was right."

Now Mai was shocked to hear this. Jounouchi? Just like the man that had just tried to…? No way.

"Are you insane?" she asked. "You're nothing like him! That guy was…was…not worthy of being called a man!" she insisted, kneeling beside Jounouchi and placing a hand on his shoulder. She got no response.

"Yes, I am, Mai," he said blandly. "I'm just like him. I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"Jou," Mai said softly. "Don't say that. Don't you ever say that about yourself…"

"But it's true," he laughed darkly. "It would make sense…"

"How could it?"

"Because," he looked at her with a small, distant smile, "Why else would my mom leave me with him?"

Suddenly, Mai was speechless. She hadn't even thought about Jounouchi's mother. What woman in her right mind would leave her son with someone like that? It didn't make sense. She was angry, confused, and scared for Jounouchi. Suddenly all Mai wanted was to make all this just go away for Jou. But she couldn't. She could barely speak as he looked at her with those cold, listless amber eyes.

"I'm so stupid. Thinking I was different. Now all this…" he chuckled, but his voice wavered a bit. "Only difference is I didn't have a beer bottle in my hand. I was completely sober. Guess that makes me worse."

Mai was so confused. "What are you talking about, Jounouchi?" she asked softly as she saw tears form in the corners of his eyes. He quickly ducked his head down so his bangs covered his eyes. He didn't want her to see it.

"Yesterday," he said, "yesterday, I drank."

"…What?"

"Not much. But…I just…did it without even thinking. I wanted to make everything stop, and that's what I did. I picked up the beer that Dad left on the table, finished it off, and threw the bottle against the wall once I realized what I'd done."

She blinked, not believing what she heard. This wasn't right. Jounouchi was stupid and emotional and irrational…but never EVER did she think he would drink. This was all wrong. Jou was screaming for help right before her eyes, and all she could do was look at him as the tears fell to the pavement. Suddenly she realized that her own cheeks were wet. She was crying, too.

"Oh, Jounouchi," she whispered, pulling him to her, resting his head against her shoulder. "Jounouchi."

"And today," he said, still trying to choke it back. "Today…I _hit_ him…"

"You didn't have a choice," she whispered.

"He's my DAD, Mai," Jou insisted. "Family isn't supposed to do that. They don't smack each around like that," he tensed. "They don't!"

"You aren't like him, Jounouchi!" she repeated. "I won't let you say that about yourself!"

"It's TRUE!" he shouted. "Mai, I HIT my FATHER. My own FLESH AND BLOOD, just like he did to me yesterday! And the beer… just everything! I saw him on top of you like that and…I…I just snapped!"

She held him tighter and gripped his shirt. "Don't," she calmly said.

"How, Mai? How am I different? After all you've seen…" he shook a bit.

"Because," she lifted his face to look at his eyes. He resisted at first, but soon let his eyes look up to her. "There is one VERY important difference between you and your father."

"What?"

"He hit you out of anger. He's so frustrated with his own failures and mistakes that he took it out on you. You, Jounouchi. You hit him…" she smiled and paused, "You hit him to _protect_ me."

He blinked. "…What?"

"You wanted to protect me. You didn't want to see me get hurt. So you aren't like him. Not at all," she smiled softly. "Don't you ever think that about yourself. You won't end up like that. Not as long as I'm around."

For a few moments Jounouchi simply looked at her. She could see the life return to his eyes slowly as he blinked the tears away.

"…Really, Mai?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Jounouchi, don't ever think that. You're so much more than he could ever be, and he knows it. But don't ever think you're like him. Or I'll beat the living hell out of you."

That got a small smile from Jou. He looked to her, and she could tell how grateful he was. "Thank you, Mai," he said softly. "I needed to hear that."

"No problem, Jounouchi," she smirked. "Now stop crying. You look like a baby."

"Huh?" he blinked, then scowled a bit. "Hey! I wasn't crying! I had something in my eye!" he said, wiping his eyes dry.

"Well, if that isn't the oldest line in the book," she rolled her eyes and stood up. "C'mon. Considering all that's happened I suppose I'd be willing to let you crash on my couch for the night. But if you try ANYTHING, Jounouchi Katsuya, I will see to it that you never have children, you got that?"

Jou stood up as well, slightly puzzled. But he soon returned her sly smirk. "As tempting as that sounds," he said dryly, "you don't have to. I'll head over to Yuugi's. They're sort of expecting me anyway."

She nodded. "Alright. But if something happens again, you know you can come to me, right?"

"Yeah," he smiled softly, causing Mai to feel a strong blush cross her cheeks. But he didn't see. He was already walking down the street. Though he did turn back. "Thanks again, Mai. I don't know what I'd do without you," he grinned, then took off running.

Mai stood watching for a moment. She felt completed. That was the grin she'd been waiting for all day.

* * *

Author's notes: THE END. Hope you liked it. The ending is...kind of crappy, but that's because I just didn't feel like making it a OMG STRAIGHT UP JOUMAI fic. That'll come later XD Anyway. Bye for now. 


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